Chime clock



F. WEHINGER.

CHIME CLOCK.

APPLICATION man Nov.1o.1921.

1 ,40'65 1 1 Patented Febr/14, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l F. wEmNGE'n. CHIMIE CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. .10. I92I.

Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

2 SHEETS-sneer 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'FREDERICK WEHINGER, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO WATER-BURY CLOCK CO., OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION.

CHIME CLOCK` Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

Application filed November 10, 1921. Serial No. 514,342.

T 0 all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, Fnnnnnion lVnHINenn, a citizen of the United States, residing at lllaterbury, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Chime Clocks; and l do hereby/'declare the -following, when taken in connection with the accompanying dra-wings and the characters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of-this application,

and represent, in-

Fig. 1 a view in front elevation of a chimeclock movement embodying my invention, members of the timetrain being eliminated for clarity, as well as the strikatrain. As shown, the clock is about to chimetlie halfhour, whereas, according to the position of the time-train, it should be prepared to chime the quarter-hour.

Fig. 2 an edge view thereof.

Fig. 3 a view corresponding to Fig. 1, showing the time-train in its three-quarter hour position, and the chime-train warned and in position to chime the full hour, which the synchronism of their chime and time mechanisms dislocated by the failure to wind them seasonably, thus permitting their time mechanisms tov continue to operate after their chime mechanisms, which require more power, have stopped. Thus, chime clocks often become a source of great inconvenience and confusion, due to the failure of their mechanisms to synchronize, although their mechanisms, as mechanisms, may each function perfectly. Much ingenuity and effort have been expended in attempts to overcome the dificulties above recited. The object of my present invention is to avoid the above oh'iections to chime clocks and to provide simple and reliable means for the hourly automatic synchronization of the time and chime mechanisms of chime clocks.

lilith these ends in view, my invention consists in a chime clock having chimeand 'time-trains, and a frictionally-mounted., chimecorrecting unit moved into its guard position by the chime-train. and into its clearance position by the time-train.

My invention further consists in a chime clock having certain details of construction and combinations of parts as will he hereinafter desc 1ibed and particularly pointed out in the claims.

lnl carrying out my invention, as herein shown, i employ a frictionallyinounted, chime-correcting unit comprising an outer chimeecorrecting lever 10, an inner chimecorrecting lever 11, and a short roclrshaft 12 journaled in the front movement-plate 13, the lever being fixed upon the forward end of the said shaft, while the lever 11 is removably attached thereto by means of a set-screw 14 in a hubl, to which the lever 11 is secured. A helical spring 16, encircling' the inner end of the shaft, is compressed bctween the inner face of the plate 1B and the inner lever 11, and frictionally restrains the rocking of the shaft 12 and hence the movement ofthe levers 10 and l1, eX- cept as the lever 10 is positively engaged, as will be described later on, to move the unit into its guard and clearance positions, in which .it is frictionally held by the vsaid spring.

For hourly bringingy the two levers 10 and 11 cf the chimecorrectingunit into its guard position, in which the unit discharges its chime-correcting function. l employ a special chime-correcting pin 17 mounted in the count-wheel 1S of the chiming mechanism, to entend inwardly and outwardlyV from the plane of the said wheel, so as to provide for the utilization of both of its ends, its inner end being utilized for coaction at about the point 19 thereon with the upper edge of the correcting-lever 10 for depressing the same against the friction developed by the spring 16 and thus rocking the shaft 12 and correspondingly depressing the inner chime-correcting leverll, so as to hring the stop-finger 20 at the end thereof into the path of a stop-pin 21 in the third wheel Q2 of the chime-train, which may be or" any approved construction and arrange- Vio nient. The chime-correcting unit is thus positively moved .by the .chime-tiainV itself into its guard position. l

into its guard positionat the conclusion of the chiming'ot theV third quarter or" the hour, when the stop-linger 2O of thelever 1l is moved into the path Yof the stop-pin 2l oic ithe third Wheel 22 of the chime-train, but it Willbennderstood that the linger 2O 'Y fand the pin' 21, though hourly brought into conjunction as described, neif'eractuallycooperate itorV stopping; the chime-train unless the same and the time-train have fallen out y of proper syncliroiiisni, thenormal stopping Vof the chime-train being .effected in the usualmanner by the moi/'ement of the stopfinger 23 of the locking-lever 211, into the path of a stop-pin 25 carried by the fourth Wheel 2G of the chime-train., The said stopringer 23 extends rearwardly through an openingl 27 in the vmovement-plate 113.

' `inasmuch as `the automatic hourly operation etV the vchime-corectinggrunit brings it into position for potentiallyv stopping the. chime-train, in case the same has fallen-,out

-otffsynchronism with the time-train, 'eprovi'sion A:nust'be inade, for hourly cutting it out Yof'action by moving it into its clearance positioii,'so that it will not prevent the noring-,33 in the Aplate 13 into position to co-act arranged mal operation ofthe chime-train, incase the same is synchronous with theY time-train.

F or the purpose ofjhourlyimoving Ythe Vsaid unit into. its plearanceposition the inner end oit its chime-correcting'lever 10 is to extend over and in close proxitlie upepeiedge of the horizontal opinty to ei'ating-arin 28 ofthe chime-nuiriiingI leverV 29,-Which rocas upon a stud 30 inthe nieveinent-plate 13,.and`is` held in its normal posit'ion'by' a'helical springBL-the upper end of thisflever beingI bent inwardly to forni a stop-linger extendii'ig through an openivith the stop-pin 25 carried'by the' fourth wh'eel`26 of the chime-train. The said operating-arm 28 extends over and isiengag'ed with and operated by a turn-back lever 34,V pivoted 'onf aV stud 35,;'having a counten. Vweighted end '36 and formed with an operating-tooth S700-acting with each `of four pins 38, 39, et() and 4:1 projecting inwardly from f a pin-disk 12 mounted upon the center arbor 113 at a pointl adjacent tothe front faceo the front plate 13 and constituting in eilet a member oflthe time-train, which thus becomes the prime-mover in restoring the unit into-its clearance position.V Y

'As shown, the pin-disk 42de located directly back br" the .cannon-pinion 14, Which VisY meshed into vby the minute-Wheel 45,

A nte-pinion d6 meshing which carries n.

into the hour-Wheel 1-7, this dial Work 7 being` of the ordinary forni and construction.

The pins 38,39, 40 andV 41 aforesaid are arranged quartering with respect to each other and successively operate at quarterhour intervals upon the turn-backlever 34 for liftingthe Warning-lever 29 against the tension of vits spring 31. Of these pins, the pin 38 is a quarter-hour pin, the pin 39the half-hour pin, the pin'iO Vthe three-quarterhour pin, and the pin 41 the hour-pin. 0f these four pins, the hour-pin 4l is placedV near the edge of the pin-disk 12 Vthan the pins 38, 39e-116140, causing it to give aV greater throw than the saine to the turn-back lever 34,' so that the said lever, V'actingthroutgfh the medium of the operating-arm 280i the chime-Warning-lever 29 will, When the pin 4i is in p1ay,rase the chime-correcting lever 10 and hence correspondingly lift the chimecorrecting lever 11, so as to remove the stopiinger 20 thereof-from the path of the stoppin 21 in the third Wheel 22 of the chimetrain. ii otherV Words, the pintl act. to

inove'the chime-correcting` unit-into its re- V only at the 'beginning of the time that the chimeinechanisni is due to chime theV full hour, andregardless of Whether or not the' Vchime-train and the time-train have, during the preceeding hour, fallen ont of synchronism., .e

The chime-correcting pin 1f? in the count- Wheel 18 is positioned to depress the chimecorrecting-levers 10 and 11 only at the termination .of the chiming on the third.. quarter of the hour, at which time :only will the stop-finger 2O be brought into the path of the'stop-pin 211 on the .third VWheel 22. The stop-finger 20y will remain in the path oi the piii`2l thereafter only for the period ot the ensuing-quarter hour, When the chiining mechanism is'due to chime onthe full hour, at which time the hour-pin 11 in the disk 425Wil1 onerate the turn-back lever 341 to lift Vthe chimecorrecting unitso Vas Vto remove Ithe stop-linger 20 from the 1 path of the pin 21,V and Vso release the chime-train,

so-itar asthe said unit is concernedi v At quarter-hour intervals,.the pins 38, 39. and` Ofivill operate the turn-back leverV 3i in operating the chmie-Warning` lever 29, but owing to 'their positions nearer the arbor 43, they will not impart a suiiicient throivto the turn-back lever 311 to effect a suilicient operation ot the lever 10 to'litt the stop-linger 20out of the'path of the stop-pin 21.

The outer end of the chime-correcting pin l? in the count-Wheel 18 is utilized Yfor. gradually lowering the rack (not shown) of the hour-strike mechanism, whereby the objectionable click, due to the abrupt descent of this rack, is prevented. By employing the outer end ot the pin 17 for this purpose,

. mechanisms I am able to dispense witha separate pin therefor, as has been done heretofore.

Having now described the structure of my improved chime clock, I will proceed to set forth the mode of its operation, firstdescribing` its operation when the time and chime are coordinating, as designed, and second, describing the automatic re-coordination of these two mechanisms after they have been assynchronized for one reason 0r another. i

In the normal operation of my improved clock, the clock chimes every quarter hour, and, after chiming, strikes on the hour. Meanwhile, the chilne-correcting unit constituting the salient feature of ymy present invention remains inactive, with the exception that immediately after the chiming on the third quarter of the hour, the pin v17 in the count-wheel 18 engages, at the point 19, with the upper edge of the outer chime-correcting lever 10 and depresses the unit. as a locking-lever 24, whereby unit, against the friction developed vby its spring 16, with the effect, of approximately engaging the end of the lever 10 with the operating-arm 28 of the chime-warning lever 29, and with the further effect of moving the stop-finger 2() of the Alever 11 into the path of the stop-pin 21 on the third wheel 22 but not intoV engagement therewith, since just prior to this action, the chimetrain has been arrested` by the engagement of the stop-pin 25 with the inwardly-turned stop-finger 23 of the locking-lever 24 in the ordinary manner. The chime-correcting unit is held in this,-its guard,-position by the ,friction developed by the spring 16 substantially during the ensuing quarterhour, nea-r the end .of which the hour-pin 41 42 lifts the turn-back lever 34 in the disk sufficientlyl to act through the mediumof the operating-arm 28 of the chime-ivarnmg-V lever 29 to lift the lever 10 and hence the chime-correcting unit against the friction developed by the springV 16, whereby the stop-finger 20 is removed from the path of the pin 17. This may be described as the clearance action -of the unit. Atfthe sametime, the lifting of the chime-warning lever 29 operates through its arm 48 to lift the thestop-inger 23 thereof is removed from the path of the stop-pin 25 in the fourth wheel 26, which now turns untilV the 'said pin l25 engages with the inwardly-turned end 32 of the chimewarning lever 29. Now, when the pin 41 passes the tooth 37 of the turn-back lever 34, the same drops -into its retired position, permitting the spring 31 to swing the lever 29 so as to remove its stopfinger 32 from the path of the stop-pin 25, and thus release the chime-train for chiming the hour. The duration of the chime is controlled by the co-action in the usual manner of the notches in the count-wheel 18, with a pin 49 in the locking-lever 24. It will thus be seen that in the normal operation of my improved clock, the `chime-correcting unit is automatically brought into its guard position on the third quarter of the hour, and returned to its clearance position concurrently with the warning of the chiming-train on the full hour.

Now let it be supposed that, for some reason or other, and for the purpose of this illustration it does not matter what, the chime mechanism of the clock has fallen out of synchronism with the time mechanism of the clock. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the chime mechanism is a quarter of an hourv ahead of the time mechanism. ln other words, the chime mechanism is prepared to chime as for the half hour, while it should be prepared to chime as for the quarter hour, since the time mechanism is just completing its quarter-hour phase.

n As shown in Figure 1, warning has taken place and the tooth 37 of the turn-back lever 34 is about to drop off the quarter-hour pin 38 in the pin-disk 42. Now, when the pin 38 passes the tooth 37, the chime-train will be yreleased in the ordinary manner, Vand the chime will be sounded as for the half hour, rather than as for the quarterhour, which it should. At substantially the end of the succeeding quarter hour, the halfhour pin 39 will operate the turn-back lever 34 in releasing the chime-train, whereupon the clock will chime as for the three-quarter hour, when it should chime as for the half hour. At the conclusion of this chiming as for the third quarter of the hour, the pin 17 in the count-wheel 18 will engage -at about the point 19 on the lever 10 and move the chime-correcting unit into its depressed or guard position, as shown in Figure 3, whereby the stop-finger 20 of the lever 11 will be brought into the path of the stop-pin 21 on the third wheel 22 of the chime-train. At substantially the end of the next succeeding quarter-hour, the three-quarter-hour pin 4() cofacts with the tooth 37 of the turn-back lever 3,4-.with the effect of lifting the chimewarning lever 29, the arm 43 of which lifts the locking-lever 24 so as to move its stop* finger 23 from engagement with the stop-pin 25 of the fourth wheel 26, which now turns until its stop-pin 25 is brought into engagement with they stop-finger 32 of the chime-V warning lever 29. The parts are then in the positions shown in Figure 3. Now when the three-quarter hour pin 40 passes the tooth 37 and permits the turn-back lever 34 to drop and release the chime-warning lever 29, the finger 32 thereof will be removed from the path of the pin 25 in the fourth wheel 26. The chime-train will now momentarily start, but will be almost immediately stopped by the engagement of the pin 21 in the third wheel 22 with the stop-finger 20 of the chime-correcting lever lso Y ahalfihouiy or three-quarters VfullV hour. 1 But this 55 Y time cliiming of the y Yll, whereby the chime will be restrained from chiining on the thirdquarterof the hour. 'During the ensuing tifteen'minutes, thehour-'pin 41 will VhaveV been Vbrought into position toV co-act with the tooth V37'- of thetur-n-back lever 34, and as this pin is setas Vdescribed seas to impart a greater throw to the lever 34, it will act through the operating-arm 28 to restore the'A chime-'correcting unittoits clearance position, iniWhich itsstop-inger 2`0-Will be niovedout of the-pathof the pin 2l in the release of the chime-train, f restrained inthe usual Vmanner by the co-v action of the stop-finger 32 of the WarningleverVV 29 lWiththle stop-pin 25 in the fourth VwheelY 26, thisV wheel having made nearly one VVmorek revolution than under normal conditions. to bring the pm 25 into engagement With the stop-finger 32. ,Noiv, When-the hour-pin 4l passes' the tooth-37 of the' turnbacklever 34, theV chime will be sounded on the hour. The chime 'andtime mechanisms have thus Ybeen restored lto synchronism by nulliiying one action ofthe chiining mechanism, With the'eiejct ofalowing`the mechanism, so to speak', tocatch up4 with the chime mechanism.- jIt will-thus be seen that my improvedchime-correcting unit, as constructed fand. arranged, prevents the cloclr-as-on"V the ffull hour at lany other vtime than. on the full hour, irrespectiveof Wlietherfthe Want of synchronism betweenrthe time and chimemecha-l nismsis represented bya quarterof an'li'our,

i of an hour, insoinuch Vas the said unit Yis v'potentially broughtinto play oncek anliou-r on the third quarter thereof for correctingany Want of synchronism, should anyYeX-ist. Y

,As herein shown and described,'tlie pin 17V is positioned inthecount-WheellS so as to cause the chime-train to itself-"move the chime-correcting-unit into its 'guard position directly after chiniing the three-quarter hour. In consonance with theV described lo'- cation ofzthepin 17, therfull-hourpin 41 is placed nearer the edge of the disk 4t2V than" the other pins therein, so Athat the un'itwill be movedtintofits clearance position under the control of Vthetime-train,concurrently Withthe Warningoi the chime-train onthe-Y arrangement, though preferred,`is `not necessary, as the pin 17 might be placed so as to cause the chimetrainto Vmovethe unit into its guard posi-A tion, v after V`chiining s the quarter-hour, the half-hour, or theYfull-hour, in which case, the pin offset in the disk Would have to be correspondingly changed. However, theV logical time Vto synchronize the time Iand chime mechanisms is-onthe hour. It thus times out of consonance appears that the principle underlying my` Vinvention is the utilization oi' the chimetrain .itselfv for moving my frietionally-` mounted, ehime-correcting unit into its guard position, leaving the Vmoving of the unit into `its clearance position entirely under theoon-V trol of the time-train, which actsy inthis manner only Whenjit has caughtup With the chime-train and Vis againsynchronous there- With, the said unit being-held in' its guard or Yclearance positions by friction. l With-my' improved chime-correcting unit, the chime may' conceivably' be sounded three successive With the time indicated bythe hands of the clock, but no more,

depending upon the time Within theV hour'Y when the chime-train anc the time-train fall out of synchroiiism; V0n the other' hand, the chimetrain may move the unit into its guard position, s0 ,as to stop'the chiming Vof the clock altogether for three successive times, but no more. Y

j I claim: Y

1. A chimeV cloclrhavingtimeandchimesoV trains, ,andV a frictionally-mounted, chime-7V correcting unit, movedinto' its-guard VVposi-V tion for preventing the chime from sounding by the cliime-trainjand .into its clearance position under andheld by tions.

2. A vchime cloclrhaving time-.andi chimetrains,` andi a" fric 'ional'ly-mounted, chime-'1 correcting 'unit comprising two levers,- one stop for the chime-train of which acts as: a and the .other of which Yisioperatediupon by the Achime-train vfor moving-the unit into its guardposition, and means-underV the control of the time-train for movingfthe unitv into itsclearan elpositioin'the said/unitheing held in its tion.

chime-correcting unit-.comprising tivov levers respective positions by 'ric- Y i05 3Q A chime clock havinga-tinie-train Va chime-train, and frictionally-niounted,f

thel con-trol of the time-train friction. {inits respective posif Vioo mounted upon a roclrzshaft infone of the.

movement-plates 'of the clock, one ofthe said., levers acting as astop-lever forthe chimetrain and the other lever being'acted upon by the chime-train formovingthe unit into f its guardposition `and also co-acting with the warning-lever ofthe time-train, which controls 'the movement of the k'unit Vinto itsy iii-its respect-ive positionsby'friction.

- In testimony'whereoil have'signedthisY i specification in the presence oftivo subscrib- Y ing Witnesses. l Y

iis

y clearance position, the saidun'it being held 'minimieren iviiiiiNGi-JR. f 

